Senegal stick with their foreign stars

CAP-IN-HAND: TEAM APPEALS TO RETIRED INTERNATIONALS

One point in two games against Bafana will be enough.

When it comes to assembling a team with experience in the testing foreign market, Senegal have no problems. Indeed, there is a likelihood that when Senegal face Bafana Bafana in two deciding World Cup qualifying games next month, the Lions of Teranga will field a team made up entirely of players plying their trade outside their own country.

Ironically, however, the much-vaunted Liverpool star, Sadio Mane, hailed as “the main man” in Senegal right now, is a doubtful starter after suffering a hamstring injury in the recent World Cup qualifier against the Cape Verde Islands and will be out of action for up to six weeks.

Mane’s importance is reflected in reports that Manchester United’s Jose Mourinho will change his tactics for today’s high-profile Premier League game against Liverpool because of Mane’s absence – as Bafana coach Stuart Baxter might well do if the dazzling goal-scoring midfielder misses the World Cup qualifiers as well.

Meanwhile, although the Senegalese need only one draw from the two home-and-away matches against Bafana to virtually tie up a place in the World Cup in Russia next year, they are not taking anything for granted – something that is emphasised by reports that Senegal have approached a couple of their erstwhile stars, who have announced their retirement from international football, to reconsider their decision in view of the importance of the occasion.

They also have a couple of other injuries apart from Mane from the Cape Verde match, like those to goalkeeper Abdouleye Diallo and Mame Biram Diouf, but these are expected to heal in good time for the World Cup qualifying deciders.

And Newcastle United’s Henri Saivet and Birmingham City’s Cheikh Ndoye are sure to be around to set Bafana problems.

For the record, Senegal presently head the four-team World Cup qualifying group with a four-point advantage over bottom-placed Bafana – this after Bafana’s 2-1 home win over the Lions of Teranga was ordered to be replayed because of the nowbanned referee’s “manipulation” of the outcome.